Imran Khan vows to lead another round of street protests against coalition govt

Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday announced to start another round of street protests against the coalition government, Aaj News reported.

While addressing a public rally in Islamabad to show solidarity with arrested party leader Shahbaz Gill, the PTI chief said that he would provide a roadmap at the public gathering in Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh tomorrow (Sunday).

He said the PTI would go to the Supreme Court against Gill’s arrest and alleged torture.

Marriyum Aurangzeb claims PTI’s Shahbaz Gill was not tortured

“Those who were allowed to live would tell tales of Gengis Khan’s brutality. This resulted in many cities surrendering to Mongol hordes without a fight,” said Imran while drawing a parallel with the case of Shahbaz Gill.

“This is what the government is doing by torturing Shahbaz Gill. They want to tell us that if they can break him physically and mentally, then they can do it to anyone in Pakistan.”

He said that media channels had also been told not to broadcast PTI rallies. “Channels were pressured into not broadcasting PTI events. But the flood of people at PTI events was reported on social media. That is why it was taken off air and action taken against its journalists,” said Imran Khan at the Islamabad rally.

During his address, Imran Khan called on the “neutrals” to stand with the nation, justice, and Pakistan, instead of “thieves”, referring to coalition government leaders.

Fawad demands independent panel to investigate ‘torture’ of Shahbaz Gill

“I’m asking and want to say to the neutrals [that] this is a matter of the country. It’s very important for you to stand with the nation, justice, and Pakistan and not these thieves (government leaders).”

Earlier on Saturday, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry demanded an independent panel to probe the “torture” of Dr Shahbaz Gill.

In a tweet, the former information minister said the panel should comprise former human rights minister Shireen Mazari, Pakistan Peoples Party’s Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Khawaja Saad Rafique.

On Friday, an Islamabad court suspended the physical remand of Gill until Monday after reserving a verdict on a police plea for his eight-day physical remand in a case under sedition charges.

The court while rejecting the plea for extension in physical remand, directed the Islamabad police to transfer him to PIMS Hospital and conduct a complete medical check-up of the suspect.